Phoenix Pinnarum
by Xenra
Summary: Sorcerers, Demons and Kings! Oh my! Lots of shipping, adventures and general AUness. What fun!
1. A Dislike For Crowds

**A/N: **Hey, Xen here! If you're reading another story of mine, Change of Heart, you know that I usually work with another person. Not this time I'm afraid. I'm all alone now. ^^ Simply because she works at a slower pace than I do, so when she's writing her chapters, I can work on this! Anyways, I'll go ahead and let you know that this story is set in the Dark Ages somewhere near England. This first chapter is simply setting things up, so I'm afraid it's a bit slow. Sorry. But if you keep reading, I promise it'll get more interesting!

**Word Count: **2,635

*****A fief is a piece of Land given to Lords during the Dark Ages by a King

* * *

Yuugi Mutou huffed indignantly as he was, once again, pushed rudely aside. He stood in a large crowd, his multi colored hair barely making him visible amongst all of the bodies. Everyone was shouting and pushing, each yelling their prices at the various vendors scattered around the dirty town square.

Honestly, Yuugi hated market day. It was the one day a week when all the vendors set up their stalls and displayed their wares. It was also one of the only days you could find anything halfway close to being fresh. All the little stores in his town sold only basic goods that didn't spoil easily; flour, grain, salted beef and so on. On market day, however, vendors brought in a variety of eye catching fruits and vegetables. The selection wasn't much, but it turned the villagers into a frenzied mob, each trying to outbid his neighbor for a simple piece of fruit. Vegetables were bought as well, but fruit was, after all, the only thing to keep scurvy away. And that's exactly why Yuugi was here. Normally, on market day, he avoided the town square like the plague, but his grandfather had been insistent about today. He wasn't to come home until he had at least one piece of fruit.

"It's been too long since either of us has had one, and I'm not about to let our teeth fall out of our heads!" The old man's words rung in Yuugi's ears and he couldn't help but smile. His grandfather was a bit of an eccentric, and Yuugi loved him dearly for it. Of course, they weren't actually related. Yuugi had been placed on the man's doorstep when he was just a baby, but to Yuugi, Sugoroku was the only family he'd ever had, blood relation or not. So here he was, standing barefoot in the town square, trying desperately to not be knocked down by the ever shifting crowd of people.

His village, Baker's Field (named after all the wheat they grew) was a small one, and so the vendors only visited on Saturdays while they spent the weekdays in larger, neighboring fiefs*. While their fief had only the one village, the others usually had many towns the vendors could sell to at once, and so they spent the majority of their time there. Because of this, the townspeople tended to go a little crazy on market day. Yuugi never could understood why. The vendors would surely be back next week, and the week after that. They made a nice tidy profit here, especially when they auctioned things off as they were doing now. Yet people still flocked here, every Saturday, like flies to a rotting carcass.

And even if the townspeople did get scurvy, which was their main reason for buying fruit in the first place, they could always get a cure from Seto Kaiba. Thinking of the man, Yuugi peered up at the large mansion on the hill. It was dark and foreboding, as always, and seemed to hang over Baker's Field like an impending storm. With its great many marble columns, dark windows and tall, arched doorways, it looked like something straight out of one of the horror stories Yuugi's friends like to scare him with.

Seto Kaiba was the owner of the house and the Lord of their fief. He also oversaw all their crop productions. Not personally of course, but through the Barons, who were part priest, part overseer.

No one ever approached his mansion unless they had the intention of buying a miracle from Kaiba. Yuugi had never seen him but he knew that, like all Lords, he was a sorcerer and so capable of creating such miracles. Sorcerers in Europe were a rare, powerful people and so, with a test of strength, they were usually rewarded their own fief simply for being strong. They provided the fiefs they controlled with protection and 'miracles', as people called them. In turn, the villagers would work the Lord's land, giving him or her almost all of the profit. Of course, in the more lenient fiefs, such as this one, there were shopkeepers and vendors, but though they were granted protection from the Lord, they were not granted these so called miracles. Yuugi had never understood this rule, nor had he ever actually seen one of these miracles, but he didn't mind it. Suguroku was a shopkeeper after all, and so by law wasn't granted access to them.

They owned a tiny store that sold games to the local children. It wasn't the biggest store, nor did it make the most money, but Yuugi and his grandfather were happy there and lived pleasant enough lives.

Yuugi thanked the gods every day that he didn't have to work the wheat fields like some of his friends. With his petite body and almost delicate skin, he'd never last a day out there. It was only times, such as this one, where the teenage boy was forced to truly step out of his comfort zone. Amongst all the bustling bodies he could feel his uneasiness growing. He just wanted a buy a single piece of fruit, maybe two!

_If I could just get close enough..._he thought hopelessly. He knew he'd have to wait though. Once the vendors had finished auctioning off their finer pieces, they'd settle down and actually start _selling. _Yuugi didn't want to wait though. Around all these people he was uncomfortable. He didn't like large crowds. The young teenager much preferred the company of a few close friends. This...this yelling and shouting and fighting, it was almost scary. He was tempted to hold his hands over his ears and tell them all to just shut up but he had a sneaking suspicion he'd just be ignored. Truthfully, he was being ignored right now. He had to pay careful attention to the people closest to him, least an unwanted elbow find its between his ribs, or someone crush his foot into the hard stone walkway.

_Maybe it's better this way, though, _he thought, quickly slipping through a gap in the crowd. Keeping low, in a matter of seconds he was able to slip away from the mob of people entirely. He gave a sigh of relief as he slumped against a stone wall, preparing to wait out the exuberant peasants until he had a chance to actually buy something.

Two hours later, Yuugi was on his way home, now the proud owner of two oranges. They were a bit small, he had to admit, each one fitting perfectly into the palms of his hands, but for three pence they were a bargain. It seemed after making a killing during the auctions, the vendor had been happy enough to agree to such a low price. It helped too, that Yuugi looked like he couldn't be older than ten. Truthfully he was seventeen, but with bare feet, rough brown trousers that were too big for him, an equally too big white button down shirt, and large, child like features, he was often mistaken for being much younger. Not that he minded of course. Someone his age was supposed to be married by now, but Yuugi often shrunk from the idea. All he really wanted to do was inherit his grandfather's toy shop and grow old maintaining it, like Sugoroku Mutou had. With such a youthful appearance, he was rarely questioned on his marital status, and only those closest to him knew his real age.

The teenager was quickly snapped out of his thoughts when a familiar dirty face appeared in his line of vision.

"Hello? Are you in there, Yug?" the blonde called, walking backwards directly in front of Yuugi.

_I must have really been out of it to not notice him sooner,_ the short boy thought with a smile. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, Jonouchi. I was off in my own little world."

The taller boy snorted. "I noticed. Hey," he said, swinging around to walk beside his friend, rather than in front of. "You wanna swing by my place for dinner? Mai is cooking lamb chop tonight. I know it's your favorite!"

Mai was Jonouchi's beautiful wife. They'd been married for two years now and even had a child together. They were both great friends of Yuugi's, and he enjoyed hanging out at their house when he got the chance. He often babysat their son, Inel, on occasion too. He smiled at the idea of going to them for dinner tonight, and Jonouchi was right. Lamb chop was his favorite...but glancing down at the two oranges in his hands he figured his grandfather already had plans for that night's dinner.

"Sorry, Jo," he said after a minute. "But I have to go home to gramps"

The blonde stared at him for a second but then gave his usual lopsided grin and shrugged. "Awright. Your loss though."

Yuugi laughed and then the two parted ways, each to their respective homes.

Arriving at the toy, or rather game, shop, Yuugi pushed open the rough wooden door, making a mental note to put up a new display in the front window whenever he found the time. The current one was looking rather dusty.

"I'm home, Grandpa!" Yuugi announced, making his way through the shop section of the building and up the stairs to where the two actually lived. Since it was market day, Yuugi wasn't surprised to find his grandfather in their kitchen/dining room, sipping a cup of tea. With all the vendors in town today, the shop would get very few, if not any, customers.

"I bought the fruit," the teen said, holding out the two small oranges for Sugoroku's inspection.

"Good, good," he murmured, taking one of the thick skinned produce from his adoptive grandson. "Fetch me a knife."

Yuugi quickly located the single knife they owned and handed it to his grandfather before taking a seat at the table across from him. The old man's movements were jerky at best as he tried to clumsily peel the orange.

The multi color haired boy frowned slightly. He knew his grandfather was sick. He had known it for awhile, just like he knew that Sugoroku was not his true grandfather. The old man had told him neither thing, but still Yuugi knew. Not being related didn't bother him, but Sugoroku's sickness did. He'd been ill for months, though he hid it exceptionally well; the coughing, the weakness, the fever and the moments of confusion where he forgot even his own name. Yuugi had visited all the shops in the entire town that sold medicine trying to find something to make the old man well again, but each had turned him away and told him that there was no hope, that he needed a miracle. He had refused to believe it for so long though, because the facade Grandpa threw up was a good one. Without actually living with him, one wouldn't know that he was sick at all. But Yuugi did live with him, and Yuugi did know. For a while, he had thought that it was all going to be okay, but he had seen the progression of the disease these past few days and watching his grandfather now, Yuugi knew his body wouldn't hold out much longer.

"King Pegasus is on the move again," Sugoroku stated, drawing Yuugi from his reverie.

"Hmmmm," he acknowledged, still watching the other man's gnarled hands as he maimed the orange in an attempt to peel it. Before he could do the same to the other orange as well, Yuugi picked it up and started peeling it himself, using his fingernails rather than the knife.

"He's headed to Atem's fief. Seems Lord Atem has something he wants."

Everyone knew Atem. He was the Lord of the fief to the right of Seto Kaiba's and was the powerful man's most hated rival. Everyone knew King Pegasus as well. He commanded all the Lords and was the most powerful sorcerer on the entire continent, which is exactly why he was king.

Yuugi frowned slightly. Only the sorcerers, gifted by the gods, ever got high social standings. It had been a bitter thought for the teen for quite a while, but he was trying to make peace with it, trying to make peace with the fact that some people were just made better than others. It's all he'd ever been taught growing up, not by his grandfather of course, but by life in the fief in general. Seto Kaiba was not always the nicest Lord, and the few times he ever actually communicated with his peasants, it was not in a friendly manor. It was also apparent by the fact that Yuugi couldn't help his own Grandpa. Everyone said the only thing that could save him was a miracle, and the only ones who could perform miracles were sorcerers. Of course, farmers could receive miracles, but Yuugi shrank from this idea. He'd been toying it around for awhile, but he knew he couldn't do it without killing himself. The doctor had told him so. He was just too physicaly unstable to work in those gods awful fields.

Again, Yuugi frowned, digging a thumb sharply into his orange. Why couldn't he have been born a sorcerer? (Or stronger, perhaps, so physical work _wouldn't_ be the death of him?) Why were there even two types of people to begin with? Sorcerers and peasants. After a moment of this rather circular thinking, Yuugi gave a sigh and tried to drop the subject. He knew these thoughts would never get him anywhere, nor would they ever help him. Better to work with what he was given then cry over what he wasn't.

"So what do you think Atem has that King Pegasus wants?" the teen questioned, looking up at his grandfather again, picking up their conversation again easily.

The old man shrugged, turning his own deep purple gaze to the boy across the table. "Could be a lot of things. Who knows with King Pegasus. He's always been the..._royal_ type. There's never enough of anything for him; wine, women, money. Probably thinks Atem has a better castle then him or something," he said with a quiet laugh. After a second though, the laugh turned into a wet cough and Sugoroku's entire body shook with the force of it.

Yuugi stared at him worriedly, knowing that any sort of help would only anger the old man. _He's too stubborn for his own good, _he thought with a sigh. When the coughing subsided Yuugi offered a quiet, "Are you okay?"

His grandfather's deep gaze bit into him for a moment, like he was considering snapping at the boy, but then it softened. "Yes, I'm fine," he answered after a few seconds, clearly not so as his voice had turned rough and crackly.

The young teen had to bite his tongue not to call Grandpa out on his bluff, but he did so and lowered his gaze. "Are you going to cook these?" he asked instead, motioning to their two pieces of fruit.

"No." Sugoroku shook his head. "I'll just eat mine raw and call it dinner. You can do whatever you want with yours."

Yuugi nodded, a sudden thought occurring to him as he managed to pick off the last of his orange's tough hide. "Could I could to Jonouchi's for dinner? He did invite me."

"Bah!" his grandfather said with a smile. "You're a grown man, Yuugi. Do what you like," he stated simply, a twinkle in his eye.

The multi color haired teen stood abruptly, shoving the whole of his orange into his mouth before dashing down the stairs, taking them two at a time. "I'll be back tonight!" he managed to call up, hearing his grandfather laugh again as he did so.

* * *

Okay, there's a few things I wanted to say down here. First, that this story is going to contain /lots/ of shipping. I mean...tons. And I haven't even planned the entire thing out yet! (Well I mean I have, but the little details are still missing here and there.) So yeah, if you like shipping, you should like this. I won't tell you what they are though. You'll have to read on to find out, though I will say that they are all my personal favorites and I tend to have strange tastes (so I've been told) so...yeah.

Secondly, the chapters are going to switch between Yuugi's point of view, and Bakura's. Actually...those two aren't going to meet for a long time (spoilers!) but they both tell very interesting stories that will, eventually, intersect.

And last but not least, I have a question for all the people reading! The title is in another language (obviously). If you can tell me what language it's in as well as what it says, I'll give you a prize! A...uh...a commission or something. XD You can ask for something else if you want, that's fine. Anyways, I just wanted to offer that as a kind of side attraction.

Ta for now! And don't forget to review(that's how you're supposed to enter for the prize anyways :P). Let me know how the first chapter was, if I just need to ditch the story all together or if I should write more.

**-Xen**


	2. Traveling Companions

**A/N: **Aaaannndd, I'm back with chapter two! Notice how I'm positing it on a Sunday, just like the first chapter? Well I plan on making this a weekly occurrence! Yay! Well...at least until the 27th. That's when I go back to school (and it also happens to be my birthday!). School...is going to be hectic to say the least, but I might be able to keep up the pattern. We'll just have to wait and see.

On a different note, this chapter introduces some new characters! Bakura, Ryou, Marik and Malik. Just to clarify, Ryou is Ryou Bakura. Bakura is Akefia, or the Thief King. Marik is Hikari Marik Ishtar, and Malik is Yami Marik. Got it? Good!

**Word Count: **4,725 (Wow...lot more than last time. I'm afraid the majority of the chapters are gong to vary like that though. ^^; Sorry)

* * *

"Fuck you! That price is ridiculous!"

"Look, that's my final and only offer. Take it or leave it, _bat_," the shopkeeper hissed. He stood behind the small store's counter, arms crossed and homely brown eyes narrowed to slits. Across the way, a pair of very angry red eyes glared back at him with equal animosity.

"I'll give you twenty pence for it. Fifty is just outrageous," Bakura spat. A clear jar sat in the space between the two. Within, light burned and popped, seemingly electrified as it bounced off the glass wildly, unable to escape from its prison. A small white label read 'Captured Lightning" in careful handwriting.

The man scoffed and shook his head. "No can do. A man's gotta eat ya know."

Bakura snarled, the two leathery wings on his back flapping slightly in annoyance. "Look old man," he growled, lowering his chin to intensify his red glare. "Just because I am what I am, doesn't mean you can charge me up the ass for a single jar of fucking lightning."

The shopkeeper smirked. "If your sorcerer is stupid enough to choose _you_ for a familiar, then I'll take advantage and charge whatever I damn well please."

Inside the small shop, the white haired boy slowly unfurled his wings, a smirk growing on his pale face.

"Care to reconsider?" he asked faux sweetly.

They came to a stop halfway, unable to expand fully in the tight space, but the action still earned its desired effect. The shopkeeper's face had gone pale and his eyes wide. Bat familiars were certainly not loved. Anywhere.

"G-get out of my shop!" the man stuttered, still terrified, but pointing nonetheless at the door.

The smug expression Bakura had gotten slipped slowly away and he cursed mentally. With a small growl, he folded his wings tightly against his back once more and stomped out of the shop, opening and closing the door with much more force than was necessary. "Discriminating bastard," he threw over his shoulder, and received a "Good riddance," in response.

It was always a risk, playing the wings card. All sorcerers, at some point in their life, took on a familiar. Familiars were part animal, part human creatures who helped intensify a sorcerer's magical abilities, as well as reducing the stress the sorcerer took during more strenuous spells or ceremonies. Familiars could be any animal really; dogs, cats, elephants, camels, snakes, mice even parrots or other exotics. Bakura, however, was born with a pair of thick black wings sprouting from between his shoulder blades, a clear sign of his bat blood line, as well as the sharp teeth and acute hearing. But rumor had it that bat familiars were unlucky, and that if they unfurled their wings near you, it meant certain death. Any sorcerer who bonded with one was sure to die as well, and because of this, Bakura was shunned no matter where he went in the world. The folktales differed from place to place, but the fear and the hatred were always the same. Opening his wings voluntarily could either spell a free ticket for whatever he wanted, or, much more commonly, a one way trip out the door.

It had been suggested to him, many a time, by Ryou, to wear a jacket of some sorts over his wings (a shirt wouldn't do, because he'd cut holes in all of his for the exact purpose of making his wings visible). He'd never once taken this advice though. A part of him wanted people to know what he was, to cringe with fear as he walked past, to throw things and shout curses if he strayed too near their loved ones. Children even cried sometimes if he looked at them the right way.

He refused to cover his wings, not simply because he enjoyed those things, though he did (immensely) but also that he knew no other life. His parents had been murdered while he was still young, and he'd grown up alone and constantly on the run. Warmth and acceptance were two things he'd never experienced, and so he reveled in hate and sought it more and more often as he grew older. It was as much a part of him as the wings.

He never did anything bad necessarily, simply went out of his way to earn more and more of those glares, the ones wishing him dead, the ones watching his every move, and most satisfying, the ones terrified of his entire being.

There was always a part of him, though, the familiar part, that wanted to find a sorcerer. It was a slight burning, an itching almost, in the back of his mind to learn all the magic he possibly could and bond with someone to become truly powerful. He supposed every familiar had the same inclination, the same feeling of only being half complete, but he had ignored it for years. It wasn't until he met Ryou that he gave into this urge, even if just a tiny bit.

Ryou was, like Bakura, a traveler. He also happened to be a Natural Sorcerer, one of the four different types of magical beings. Bakura certainly hadn't bonded with the slightly younger boy, a process which forever interlinks the sorcerer and familiar's souls. No, Ryou was much too weak for the bat's tastes. He was, however, traveling with Ryou until he found a sorcerer who he considered worthy enough to bond with. However, he also couldn't believe in the many rumors surrounding Bakura's race, like Ryou, and this was proving to be a rather difficult find. In the meantime though, he assisted the small teen with a number of magical tasks.

At the end of the small dirt road, Bakura spotted the clave of trees the caravan had been hidden under. The two horses who pulled the wooden contraption grazed a few yards off, shaggy heads bent to pull up the soft grass. Bakura paused in passing them, the sight of them calming his rather frazzled nerves at least a little. Though he wouldn't admit it openly, he actually rather liked the two beasts. During the process of traveling with Ryou he'd even learned to ride them. When he'd first met Ryou, he had had almost no idea of how to work with them, but Bakura had learned quickly and he was now a bit of an expert.

With a small smirk, he approached the creature that was considered purely his. It stood at a little over sixteen hands and in the afternoon sun, its black coat shone like a polished piece of obsidian. Magician was the gelding's name, and he raised his sleek head as Bakura reached for him, eying him with intelligent brown eyes. The horse huffed quietly when it realized the bat familiar had no treats to offer him, and went back to cropping the grass. Bakura simply ran a hand over its neck absentmindedly, spotting Ryou's horse a few feet away. It was the same size as Magician, but much lighter in color. It was a palomino, giving it a light brown coloring all across its body, white socks on three of his four legs, a small white star in the middle of his forehead, and a white mane and tail. With additional pale blue eyes, Celtic was incredibly different from his dark partner, Magician. Both horses were hobbled to keep them from wandering too far away, Bakura noted, which meant Ryou was not watching them and was probably preoccupied with something else. With a slight huff of his own, the familiar turned and made his way into the cove of trees, spotting their wooden caravan amongst them all. From within he could hear the slight sound of shuffling.

The caravan was basically a box with wheels, a door on one end and a harness for the horses on the other. The door was open wide, and when Bakura peered inside, he saw Ryou sitting on the wooden floor cross legged, objects spread out around him randomly, and a very focused expression on his face.

"Boo," Bakura called, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms over his chest. He was rewarded when Ryou jumped slightly before turning a chocolaty brown gaze to him. Once again, Bakura had to pause and try to figure out just why everyone thought he and Ryou were related. Ryou was…soft….had those giant, warm eyes and was almost always smiling. Bakura….wasn't. Red eyes, wild hair, sharp features, not to mention the sharp teeth and the wings. They looked nothing alike!

"Oh, I didn't realize you were back so soon," he said quietly, giving a small smile.

"Obviously," the bat familiar drawled, forcing himself to stop ranting mentally. He allowed a lazy smirk to twist his lips.

"Did you get everything on the list?" Ryou asked, looking at his friend rather expectantly.

Bakura sighed rather harshly. "I was kicked out of the first shop I went to."

"What!?" And now Ryou's face had worry and concern written all over it. Still not an expression Bakura was used to receiving. The look was quickly changed to a disapproving scowl though. Ah, that was a better.

"What did you do?" Ryou's tone was gentle.

The bat familiar shrugged. "Nothing! I was trying to buy one of those lightning jars you wanted, and he jacked the price up to fifty pence! If I had agreed to that, we wouldn't have had enough money for dinner."

"I'm telling you, Bakura, if you would just wear something over those wings you wouldn't have this problem!" Ryou said, but he dropped the subject quickly and his usual bright smile returned. "That's okay that you didn't get the lighting. I can just collect some during the next storm. Shame you couldn't get the spider silk candles though. I really wanted to read your fortune."

At the mention of his wings, Bakura stretched the leathery appendages to their full extension, revealing as the tension was released from the muscles there. He flapped them once, just to stretch them a little more, and the leaves on the nearby trees rustled with the force of it. Oh yeah, he could fly with these bad boys.

"Why do you need those stupid candles to read my fortune anyways?" Bakura asked, focusing on the small sorcerer before him once more. "I mean, do those tarot card things even work?"

Ryou, who had started arranging several dark jars in front of him, looked up. "Spider silk candles utilize the magic in the tarot cards to ensure a proper and efficient reading. And of course the cards work. The magic put into-" Ryou paused as he saw a familiar expression pass across Bakura's face. "What do you hear?" he asked quietly, already used to this occurrence.

The bat familiar scrunched his nose slightly, trying to focus his hearing. He had to push past the sounds of the wind in the trees and the horse's chewing and shuffling. But yes, there, he heard it, the sound of footsteps on grass. Two people. He told as much to Ryou who looked rather interested. He was just beginning to think they were headed right for the caravan when one of them spoke;

"Are you sure he said he went this way?" one voice asked quietly, timidly.

"Yes. Don't you see the horses, stupid? Someone's back here," the other snapped rudely, the owner of the voice obviously not in the best of moods. And then they reached the edge of the cove, and Bakura was able to see flashes of color and hair as the pair neared the caravan.

Ryou stood from his place on the floor and exited the small vehicle. He'd heard the conversation too. "Over here!" he called, waving his hand in the air.

The two moved through the trees, coming closer, and Bakura was able to get a better look at them both. They wore identical long dark cloaks that almost dragged the ground, the hoods thrown back. Underneath, though, he could spy worn traveling clothes.

"Hello there," one said once within speaking range. He had blonde hair that fell to his shoulders, bright lilac eyes and foreign dark skin that wasn't completely unattractive, Bakura mused. And those same lilac eyes were framed in some of the darkest eyelashes he'd ever seen. He almost wondered if the boy wore some sort of makeup. Based on the golden collar around his neck, and the earrings dangling just above his shoulders, Bakura wouldn't have been surprised. However, the earrings were not attached to a pair of regular human ears. Instead, they hung from a pair of round, tawny furred ears that were positioned an inch or two above where a normal pair would have been.

_A familiar then_, Bakura thought.

The second of the pair, who looked just like his partner only taller, with much longer, messier hair, and lacking of the fuzzy ears, said nothing. Bakura also noted, though not with much interest, that his eyes were much darker, and more of a mauve color rather than lilac. Probably a sorcerer if the other was a familiar.

"Hi!" said Ryou cheerily, smiling brightly at the two. "Can we help you?"

"Yes, actually," the first boy stated rather matter of factly. "One of you is a sorcerer," and here, his eyes narrowed, straying to Bakura. "And I'm assuming it's not you," he cooed.

Ryou laughed quietly. "Yes, I'm a sorcerer. Can I ask why you were searching for me?" he inquired, eyes wide and innocent.

The familiar examined his nails, each one a carved into a fine point. "Well, see," he looked up again. "My brother and I were wondering if you were a Sympathetic Sorcerer."

Bakura's ears perked slightly at this. Sympathetic Sorcerers were extremely rare and extremely powerful. What could this boy possibly want with one?

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint," Ryou laughed again, this time louder, "but I'm actually a Natural Sorcerer, sorry." A hand scratching uneasily at the back of his head ensured Bakura's suspicion that Ryou was genuinely apologetic and feeling bad for not being able to help.

"Hmpf," was all the familiar said before turning to leave.

"Wait!" Ryou had held up a hand as if he actually intended to physically stop the pair from going anywhere. He dropped it back down to his side. "I didn't even get your names," he said with a shy smile.

The boy looked like he was struggling not to roll as his eyes as he turned to face them. "I'm Marik, and this," he motioned to the silent teen beside him, "is my brother Malik."

Malik continued to look on, and if it weren't for the hard expression on his face, Bakura would have assumed that he was the timid sounding one in the conversation he'd heard earlier. But no, there was no doubt in his mind that it had been his brother, Marik, though the familiar was showing no signs of fear or weakness at the moment.

"Marik. Malik," Ryou said, bowing slightly in turn to each tanned boy. "My name is Ryou, and this is Bakura. He's a familiar." The last part was said with a cute wrinkle of the nose and an almost imperceptible giggle. It was Bakura's turn to roll his eyes now. Ryou obviously thought that since he and this Marik boy were both familiars that they'd instantaneously become the best friends. As if.

"Yes," Marik said slowly, narrowed lilac eyes once again coming to rest on Bakura and his ears twitching slightly. "I noticed."

Bakura couldn't help but a make a face at him and then give his wings a strong flap just for good measure. Obviously, wherever Marik came from, they'd never heard the rumors of bat familiars because neither his expression nor his stance changed. And he was sure Marik was foreign, if not for the unusual dark skin, but for the slight musical lilt to his words as well.

Before Marik and Malik could make a move to leave again, Ryou said, "I'd like to invite you both to dinner. That is, if you don't mind of course."

Marik's gaze swung immediately back to Ryou and paused there for a second before moving onto his so far still silent brother. He raised a blonde eyebrow, questioning. Malik only gave him a bored look, like he really couldn't care less.

The familiar smiled widely, revealing teeth even sharper than Bakura's. "We'd love to," he said simply. "But I'm afraid we're vegetarians. If you're going to make meat, we'll have to decline."

Ryou's whole face lit up and he clasped his pale hands in front of his chest, bouncing slightly on his toes. "I'm vegetarian too!" he almost squealed. And it made sense that he was. As a Natural Sorcerer, he had an uncanny connection to anything living. Eating something that had once had a heartbeat would have driven the small teen practically insane with guilt. It never stopped Bakura from eating meat though, whether he was in front of the sissy sorcerer or not.

Marik laughed at Ryou's excitement, though not in a very nice way. "Sure then. What time do you eat?"

The pale haired boy glanced up quickly, noting that the sun was already in the west and making its decent. "I can actually start cooking right now! Bakura, would you be a dear and set the fire up?" Without waiting for an answer, Ryou disappeared inside the caravan, presumably to get supplies for that night's dinner.

Bakura curled his lip at being called dear, but more because he'd had intentions of going into town and buying the biggest steak he could possibly find. Now there was no hope of that. Ryou would surely make a purely green meal, and the bat familiar would be forced to choke it down just like everyone else. He'd even refused to buy that damn lighting just to have enough money for the steak too! With a slight growl, though, he resigned himself and went to do as Ryou asked, and build the fire. From the corners of his eyes, he caught sight of Marik and Malik huddling together, whispering. At such a close range, he was easily able to hear their conversation.

"You idiot. What in hell did you get us into?" hissed Malik, the expression on his face close to murderous.

Marik shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously. "Look," he stated, and it was easy to tell he was trying to push down his fear, "it's just one dinner. Besides, we don't have money anyways. We'll take their food and then be on our way again."

Malik seemed to think the words over carefully before a large grin overtook his face, almost comical in its size. "Fine. But if these losers slow us down even at all, it'll be your head."

The familiar looked like he believed every word of his brother.

By this point, Bakura had already gathered together enough dried wood, and he sat on his heels to arrange it into a triangular shape before lighting it. He couldn't say that the conversation surprised him much. The two seemed like a secretive pair, and he also wouldn't be surprised if the dinner ended up being rather quiet and tense.

Ryou appeared again, carrying a basket in his arms filled to the brim with various vegetables. "I figured we could make kabobs!" he said cheerily, setting the basket down by Bakura. "I just have to season the vegetables." He skipped back into the wooden vehicle, Marik and Malik watching him as he went.

"So," Bakura said, drawing their attention to him as he stood up to admire his work. The fire had lit easily enough and the flames were now spreading from the tinder he'd collected to the actual wood. "What kind of familiar are you, anyways?" he asked, lifting his crimson gaze to Marik.

The boy's eyes widened momentarily, as if he'd been caught off guard, but they quickly narrowed in amusement. "Well if you must know," he smirked, "I'm a lion." It was then that Bakura finally noticed the slender tail waving lazily over Marik's shoulder, the tip poofing out in a mass of tawny and black fur. "And yourself?"

Bakura raised a slender white eyebrow. Really? Weren't the wings proof enough? "Bat," he answered shortly, stretching his leathery appendages as proof.

"Well that explains the eyes, I guess."

"How about your brother there?" Bakura asked. "Is he a sorcerer or something?"

Marik glanced at his brother. Malik again cast him that part bored, part exasperated look. "Yeah, he's an Illusionary Sorcerer."

"Oooh. Never met one before." Illusionary Sorcerer's did just as their name suggested; they created illusions. The majority of them were weak, and could barely make something that could move, but the stronger of the group could do incredible things. "Care to demonstrate?" the white haired teen asked with a smirk.

Malik eyed him with a look that could only be described as disgust. After a moment though, he seemed to make up his mind, and closed his dark purple eyes. His lips moved silently. A small butterfly materialized itself in the air between them, flapping its intricately patterned wings to stay aloft. It fluttered towards Bakura and paused there, hovering, before the entire creature just burst apart. The delicate wings ripped themselves into a million pieces, the body shattered as if made of glass, and from every cut and slash, blood began to pour, much more than was reasonable for such a small creature to have. It poured and poured, collecting at the bat familiar's feet in a large puddle, until the insect simply quivered and collapsed.

Bakura backed away from the gruesome sight, wrinkling his nose as the scent of the blood invaded it. Malik suddenly began to laugh, a heinous, out of control, manic sound that grated on the bat familiar's nerves. He shot a narrow eyed glare to the boy, and the sorcerer's laughter only grew louder. When the dark skinned teen finally stopped, he said with a grin, "You're the one who asked for it." With a simple wave of his hand, the fingers each clasped in a golden ring, the butterfly and its blood disappeared, as well as the sickly smell of it.

Before either boy could say anything again, Ryou pattered out of the caravan, a knife in one hand, a small pouch and four sticks in the other, oblivious to what had just taken place. The knife instantly caught Malik's attention, and the sorcerer had eyes only for Ryou as the small boy knelt by his basket of vegetables and very carefully began to carve them. Once each one was in small pieces, he sprinkled the contents of the pouch over them and then looked mildly proud of himself. He then proceeded to hand everyone a stick of their own and basically told them to have at it, though in nicer terms.

Bakura simply glared at his stick as if it had done him some personal offense, Ryou waited calmly for Marik and Malik to get their servings, and the two brothers practically dove at the food. Marik seemed to be the more excited of the two, but it was easy to tell Malik was just as hungry. Bakura couldn't help but wonder just how long they'd been traveling, and just how many times they'd had to skip meals. They didn't look exceptionally skinny…but the cloaks they wore covered the majority of their bodies.

It didn't take long for the four boys to be settled quietly around the fire, three of them roasting their kabobs and the fourth leaning back on his hands and watching the two foreigners with veiled interest.

Ryou beat him to the punch though, when the quiet boy asked "So where are you two traveling to?" His brown eyes were soft and curious.

"North," was all Marik answered, never taking his lilac gaze off of the flames. Malik didn't respond. After Ryou had put the knife away, he had apparently lost any and all fascination for the two pale teens.

Ryou blinked once, observing more than judging. "No specific destination?" he asked.

Marik looked up then, a strange expression on his face. "We just need to find a Sympathetic Sorcerer."

"If you don't mind my asking, why?"

"Just…" he dropped his gaze again. "Just to undo something."

The slap had happened faster than anyone was expecting, but suddenly Marik was reeling away and Malik had his arm bent like he meant to deliver another one. Instead, he grabbed his brother by the throat and brought him close enough that their noses were touching. "Not another word," he hissed between clenched teeth, and then dropped Marik like the touch had burned him.

Bakura and Ryou were left to watch on, one in horror and the other in utter anticipation.

The lion familiar resumed his earlier cross legged position, tail thumping restlessly on the ground beside him. His kabob had been tossed away in the scuffle, and he picked it back up, brushing the dirt off of it. He apparently no longer had an appetite though, as he simply laid the stick across his lap and dropped his hands to rest on his thighs.

Bakura glanced around the fire. If he took in a deep breath he figured he could probably smell the tension that had settled over them. He gave a slight smirk. It was fabulous. But he could tell it was hurting Ryou, who looked like he didn't know whether to cry or say something, so he turned to the sorcerer and asked, "Did you ever bring the horses in?" just to break the silence. Pity though. He had been thoroughly enjoying the entire awkwardness of the situation.

Ryou's eyes widened as he realized he hadn't and he gave a quick shake of his white head.

The bat familiar rolled his eyes before standing, brushing dust off of the dark pants he wore. "Honestly, we need those horses if we want this caravan to go _anywhere._ I think you might want to pay a little more attention to them." With that, he stalked off in the direction he assumed the horses were in, picking up the soft sounds of their movements.

He found Magician first. The black gelding was standing under some trees not but twenty yards away. This time when Bakura approached, he gave a low whinny.

The bat familiar smiled and then bent down to untie the hobble around Magician's front legs. The rope had been loose enough to allow the horse movement, but tight enough to limit that movement to a slow shuffling. Once the rope was free, he slipped it around the creature's head and fastened a rough halter. From there it was easy to lead the dark coated horse to where Celtic was grazing, and do the same thing with the palomino. He led both geldings back to the campsite, noting that in his absence, the silence had continued. Well so much for that.

He'd just started to tie the horses to the side of the caravan when Marik spoke up behind him. "Those are Egyptian Arabians," he said, standing from his place by the fire.

Bakura turned to stare him incredulously. "And how would you know?" He honestly had no clue what breed the horses were, just that they weren't drafts.

"My father has…_had," _he corrected sternly, "_large_ stables full of them. He loved them. I've never seen any outside of Egypt though." Marik titled his head, watching Celtic and Magician with a guarded sort of expression. He didn't come closer though, and simply stood where he was.

Bakura cocked an eyebrow. "So you're from Egypt then?"

Malik made a low, growling type noise but Marik nodded and said quietly, "Yes," anyways. The growling stopped and Malik glared off into the distance, obviously displeased that this lit bit of information had been leaked, but he did nothing about it.

Ryou placed his now clean kabob stick on the ground before standing himself. "Bakura and I are traveling north too…would you guys maybe want to travel with us? You can ride in the caravan, and it's so much faster than walking."

Marik turned, frowning, obviously pleased that the subject had been changed but still wary of Ryou's most recent offer. "We'll think about it," he answered after a moment, a smile back on his face and his tone and expression back to the arrogance he'd displayed upon first arrival.

* * *

Congratulations to Birdsnest1 who answered my last question correctly! This weeks question is as follows;

The two horses are named after two different duel monsters. Which ones?

Answer in the reviews please!

Ookkkay. Onto other things. First, I absolutely love horses. I actually own an Egyptian Arab. Her name is Demi, she's real short and she's got quite the attitude. I love her dearly, and so I couldn't help but make the two horses here into arabians. They're my favorite breed. Most of the them are incredibly intelligent, very loving, and are always ready to go when you are. In fact, it's sometimes hard to slow these guys down! If you know much about them though, you'll know that they're not the best horses for hauling things. They're built for running, not pulling. However, it is possible. That's why I made them rather tall and the caravan really small, to ensure that they could physically pull it for long periods of time. (I know, look at me, being all weird about details, but I can't help it when it comes to horses!)

Secondly, I kind of consider this world the characters live it to be of my own creation, so if some things don't match up historically, that's why. It's really because I don't feel like researching a million and one things so...yeah. It also gives me some writing freedom though, so that I can do what I want with all the magic and sorcery stuff, which is pretty important since this is an AU.

Ta for now! Be sure to check back next Sunday. ;) Oh, and please review!

**-Xen**


	3. Burning

**A/N:** So much for regular updates, eh? Oh well. :P Anyways, here's chapter three! I don't find it terribly interesting...but maybe you will. I dunno. I always thought my writing lacked a bit of feeling. Your thoughts on the matter would be brilliant if you have any suggestions for me.

Congratulations to OmniSilver who answered my last question properly! The two horses are named after the Celtic Guardian and the Dark Magician. These are two monsters that will not be used later on in the story. But don't worry, I like to try and include all kinds of aspects from the show into my stories! You'll definitely be seeing more cards later. ;)

As for Birdsnest1 who wanted Yuugi to be a sorcerer; I wish he could be one too, but I have other plans for him I'm afraid. Fret not though! Things look bright in his future.

**Word Count:** 3,337

* * *

Yuugi offered a soft knock on the door of Jonouchi's house, stomach grumbling slightly at the smells that drifted from the small building. Seconds later, his blonde friend opened the door with a huge grin.

"Yug! I had a feeling you'd show up here."

The small teen laughed quietly. "Yeah," he said, not really bothering to explain himself. "I hope you guys haven't started yet. I'd feel awful interrupting like that." He peered into the house as if trying to discern if they had.

"Nah, Mai is still setting the table." Jonouchi ushered him into the house, closing the door behind them. The house wasn't anything fancy, paid for by the salaries of two people who worked the fields, but it was enough.

They made their way into the dining room where Mai was laying wooden plates onto the table. She smiled when she saw them, and Yuugi was struck again with how beautiful she was. Blonde hair pulled into a tight pony tail and body slender and pale. She didn't look like she worked in the fields, but he had seen her time and time again, when it was time to bring the wheat in, following the men with their scythes, and bundling all of the fallen golden plant. Then, when the men were tired, she'd go out swinging the scythe herself. Strong and reliable, he felt lucky just to call her a friend.

At that moment, she brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and informed them that dinner would be on the table momentarily and that Jou needed to help her in the kitchen. The two disappeared into the next room, leaving Yuugi to sit down at the table. Seconds later, Inel, their son, came barreling into the room.

"Uncle Yugi!" he screeched, flinging his small body upon the teen.

Yuugi laughed quietly, wrapping his arms around the blonde boy. "How are you, Inel?" he asked.

The child grinned widely, showing off a mouth with several missing teeth. "The tooth fairy has been visiting me!" he said happily, snuggling up further to Yuugi.

"That's wonderful," he smiled, patting Inel on the back. "Did she bring you any money?"

He bobbed his shaggy head of hair enthusiastically. "Yeah, I got two pence! You wanna see it?"

Yuugi shook his head, gentle smile still in place. "No, maybe after dinner okay? How about you have a seat for now. Your mom and dad should be back soon."

Inel agreed, detangling himself from Yuugi, and sliding into the chair next to him.

True to Yuugi's word, Jonouchi and Mai appeared, each carrying a plate. One was piled with several small pork chops. The other had bread and some dried cheese. They set them down before taking a seat themselves.

"Yuugi," said Mai, lighting upon him with her purple gaze. "Would you care to lead tonight's prayer?"

The multi color haired teen nodded, placing his hands respectfully in his lap, closing his eyes and dipping his chin slightly. It was mandated by the Barons, the priests Seto Kaiba appointed, that there must be a prayer said before each and every proper meal. There was no getting around it, and if the Barons ever found out you weren't praying then you would be publicly punished.

Yuugi cleared his throat lightly before starting. "Ra, Obelisk, Slifer," his voice was soft as he named the three gods. "We thank you for this meal, this nourishment you have provided us with, and pray that you continue to keep us in your graces in such a way. Thank you, too, for our healthy crops and rich land. Amen."

He opened his eyes, and everyone around the table did as well, reaching out to claim their portions of the meal. Inel was the first to snatch up a pork chop and cram it messily into his mouth. A pointed look from Mai though, and he set it down sheepishly on his plate and began cutting it into smaller pieces using the side of his fork.

Yuugi, who was waiting for everyone else to take what they wanted, was the first to speak again. "Where did you come across this meat?" he asked. It wasn't often that pork was found in Baker's Field, and the majority of their meals revolved around the bread and cheese Mai had also served up. It had to be expensive, most likely coming from Atem's fief, where they raised animals for sustenance. Baker's Field was lucky to get anything from there really, seeing as the rivalry between Atem and Seto Kaiba was fierce.

"The fields I work on brought in such a good harvest last month that I was paid more than usual. I figured I'd splurge a little and get something we could all enjoy," answered Jou with a smile.

Mai huffed slightly. "You could have bought your beautiful wife some nice new jewelry," she teased.

Jonouchi sent her a crooked smile, but knew she was joking and so said nothing. The conversation after that quickly veered towards two of their other friends, Anzu and Honda. They had been wed to each other only a few months before, but were finding married life rather difficult. Honda worked long hours in the fields, while Anzu insisted that she be a stay at home mother, though they didn't have any children yet. It was putting a strain on their finances and things were quickly going sour in their relationship. Mai and Jonouchi were trying to help them as best as they could, but it seemed neither participant was all that interested in listening.

"Honestly," Mai tsked. "I keep telling her that she needs to go back to work! A woman has to be supportive of herself, you know. She should be able to be totally independent if she needs to be." Her eyes slid to over Jou, and she added slyly, "And then she can buy her own jewelry."

The conversation continued this way, and Yuugi tried to offer helpful ways Mai might be able to get through to Anzu while Inel and Jonouchi started a food fight with bits of cheese. By the end of the meal, everyone was in on the little fight and covered with bits of the dairy product.

"Okay, okay, no more," Jonouchi laughed after Inel had nailed right in the eye. "Your mother is going to make us clean this up you know, so I think we should stop before we ruin the entire room."

"Damn straight you're cleaning. I didn't start that!"

Inel lost his smile and quickly excused himself to go to bed, scurrying away from the room as fast as possibly could.

Jonouchi laughed good naturedly. He hated cleaning with a passion, but it seemed tonight not even that prospect could dampen his mood.

"I'll help," Mai offered, going back on her previous statement. "Oh, and Yuugi, you're very welcome to stay in the spare bed in Inel's room."

Yuugi thanked her, and made his way across the house. He assumed, of course, that Jou and Mai had wanted a little bit of alone time, so he didn't argue. Dinner had been so much fun after all. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself, but just as he reached Inel's room, a nagging feeling started up in his gut. A frown crossed his face. Something bad was going to happen. He just knew it.

Inel was already curled up on his side, pretending to be asleep. He opened one brown eye, so similar to Jou's. When he realized it was Yuugi in the room, he gave a loud sigh. "Phew. They're not going to make me clean, are they?"

Yuugi quickly pushed the uneasy feeling aside and smiled at the child. "No, they're going to do it themselves. Why don't we go ahead and go to bed?"

Inel nodded quickly before burying himself under his covers again.

Yuugi claimed the spare bed in the corner, blowing out the only light candle in the room on his way past. Climbing under the covers himself, he couldn't but wonder at that odd feeling. It was still there, settling uncomfortably in his gut like a weight. He didn't like this feeling. It was unsettling, so he tried to push it aside again as he closed eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

_Smoke. There was smoke everywhere. He couldn't see anything, it was so thick. It swirled and blossomed and twisted about him like a living thing, drawing closer with every passing second._

_ Yuugi lurched away, terrified for some reason he wasn't quite sure of. Fear ran rampant through his veins, and he found himself only just barely able to hold in a scream as he ran blindly through the endless smoke. _

_It was hot against his face, scorching almost, and yet he saw no source, no fire. It was then that he tried to brush aside the thick grey clouds, stretching his arm out before him. He paused, staring at his hand, unbelieving. And finally the scream he'd been holding back, high pitched and blood curling, ripped itself painfully from his throat. _

"Yuugi, you need to get up. It's Sunday!" Inel's loud voice quickly roused Yuugi from his slumber, and he sat up bolt right in the borrowed bed, heart hammering away inside his chest. His breath came in short, rugged gasps but for the life of him, he could not remember what he'd dreamed about.

"Come on, Uncle Yug!" Suddenly, the child was there pulling at his shirt sleeve, and the sight of the young boy calmed him.

"Sorry Inel," he said quietly, offering a shaky smile as he swung out of bed.

The blonde gave a cheeky grin. "You're gonna be late to church, Uncle!" Then he giggled and ran from the room, already dressed in his Sunday best.

Cursing, Yuugi realized that it was, indeed Sunday, and that, in the clothes he was wearing, the Barons would never let him into the church. Missing church was not an option. One did not miss church. Only if they were on their death bed were they excused, and even then they had to be minutes from dying.

The small teen was out of the door, and in turn, the house in a matter of seconds, calling a hasty, "I'll see you later!" over his shoulder. Then it was a race through the dirty streets of the city to get home and get dressed as quickly as possible.

Only when Yuugi saw the game shop ahead did he slow his pace. He tired the front door, and found it unlocked, which was lucky for him but strange since his grandfather usually locked up the store in the evenings and since it was Sunday, there would be no reason to unlock it. But he didn't dwell on the small detail, and instead made his way inside and up into the loft.

"Grandpa," he called as he knelt beside a chest in the dining room. Inside were the clothes he wore to church every week. "Are you ready?" When there was no answer, he stopped what he was doing, and cocked his head to the side, trying to see if there were sounds of movement from any of the other rooms. Nothing.

"Grandpa?" he tried again, rising to his feet. Again, nothing.

Yuugi made his way to the door that led to his grandfather's room. "Grandpa?" Silence.

He pushed open the door silently, dread curling in his stomach.

There was his grandfather, in his bed, seemingly asleep. But…something wasn't right.

Yuugi approached, not daring to breath. Sugoroku was lying unnaturally still, one arm by his side and the other across his chest. His skin was pale and papery looking, blue veins etched out in stunning detail. His breath came in short, irregular gasps, his chest rattling with the simple effort of breathing. The man didn't respond when his adoptive grandson laid a hand on his arm and Yuugi's own breath caught in his throat. His grandfather was ice cold.

It only took the small teen a matter of seconds before he was down the stairs and out of the shop, his heart pounding frantically in his chest with fear. Grandpa was dying. He was dying. This was finally it. There was no more hoping. There was no more praying, no more searching and begging and looking for impossible cures. There was only thing left to do. One person left to see.

A painful stitch developed in his side as he ran, his body already tired from running before. But he pushed through his physical parameters and carried on, through the streets towards the hill on the edge of town. Yuugi paused when he reached the base of it, looking up at the mansion that suddenly seemed a hundred times more foreboding than it ever had before, stretching and looming its self over top of him. But he pushed on, dashing up the hill without even a second thought.

He could feel the eyes of the villagers on his back. Everyone would be awake and moving, heading for church. The Barons would be there, standing by the doors, and they too, surely would see him. It was too easy to spot him, and he suddenly felt wide open and vulnerable, as if the things piercing him were arrows instead of gazes.

What if the Barons decided this was sacrilege? What if he was punished? What if Seto Kaiba couldn't even help him? What if his Grandfather died before he could even get said help? What if Seto Kaiba turned him away?

The worries pushed angrily through his mind, each trying to get his attention until he felt like his head was about to explode. They swarmed and bit and pulled at his mind, each claiming they were the most important, each tugging harshly at his mind until he shook his head and put them all at bay with nothing more than a determination to get to the top of that damned hill, stares or no stares, worries or no worries.

Yuugi didn't even pause when he reached the giant front doors. They soared over his head, screaming at him to go back, that one such as himself was not welcome here, but he pushed against one anyways and gasped in surprise when it swung open easily under his weight. Now, he did pause. Through the crack he'd made, he could see rich red carpet and a grand stair case. Steeling himself, he pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped inside. Immediately before him were the stairs, the carpet he'd seen, a rug actually, folding itself down the marble steps and ending right at his feet. To the left and right were walls, leaving the stairs and the door as his only escape.

Tentatively, he took another step forward, marveling briefly in the way his bare feet sunk into the rug and left behind little muddy foot prints. Had it been wet outside? He couldn't remember.

"Mr. Kaiba," he called, and his voice came out a whisper. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Mr. Kaiba!" This time his voice resonated off the marble walls, bouncing back to him high pitched and nervous.

It only took a few seconds for someone to appear at the top of the staircase, though by the black butler suit he was wearing, it was obvious he wasn't the infamous Seto Kaiba.

He descended the steps quickly, looking stern underneath a head of thick silver hair. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, and though his tone was polite it was also very serious and business like.

Yuugi gulped, taking an involuntary step backwards. "I-I need to see M-Mr. Seto, please. My Grandpa, h-he's dying," he stuttered. So much determination only seconds before had disappeared dramatically when he was under the scrutiny of such a hard, brown stare.

The butler only nodded though. "A miracle then?" he asked, as if this were only protocol.

Yuugi nodded his head vigorously, biting on his bottom lip softly.

Turning on his heel sharply, the butler didn't say anything more, just made his way back up the stairs, though he did give a disdainful look at the dirt Yuugi was trailing behind when he moved to follow.

Once up the steps, Yuugi found himself in an enormous hallway, one wall made up almost entirely of arched windows. Below, he could see an elaborate courtyard with several fountains and a maze of hedges.

The other wall, to his left, was lined with doors, each spaced an even seven feet from the last and all of them closed, giving him no insight to what could possibly be on the other side.

At the end of the hall stood a pair of doors that matched the ones out front, tall and elegant and taunting in their strength. The butler pushed one open slightly and stepped inside, Yuugi trailing a little more slowly behind him.

The room he entered was enormous. The ceiling soared above his head, made completely of glass, the walls stretching away from him endlessly. Half of them were covered in towering book cases and the others held many shelves filled to the brim with various bottles, stones, boxes and other odds and ends. The only light came from above and thanks to the watery sunlight, the room was grey and bleached looking. Apart from the shelves and book cases and a small work bench like table, the room was empty, leaving a massive open space in the middle, like something had exploded, destroying whatever had once inhabited the space, and nobody had bothered to fill it again.

Bent over the table was a man. He flipped haphazardly through a book and wore nothing except a pair of black finely made pants. The muscles on his back were tense, and his pale skin shone with a light covering of sweat. As Yuugi watched, he angrily pushed aside the book he had been looking through and slammed down another that had been perched on a stack to his left.

"Mr. Kaiba," called the butler, "you have a miracle request."

If it was possible, the man tensed even more. "Send them away," he snapped, and his voice sounded haggard, sleep deprived.

"I can't do that, Mr. Kaiba," replied the butler calmly. "If the King finds out you are not fulfilling your duties as a Lord, he will surely strip you of your powers."

There came a series of curses and then the man fell silent. After a few tense seconds, he snarled, "Fine. Send them to me."

Turning a pointed look on Yuugi, the butler ushered him forward, and he'd never been so scared in his life. "I-I'm here," he called, and his voice sounded young and terrified.

Kaiba was silent, then turned to look over his shoulder, ice blue eyes flashing in the grey light. "He's just a child. I have no obligations to fulfill a miracle from a child," he spat.

Yuugi was concentrating on his feet and missed the look the other man was giving him. "I'm not a child," he called, and his voice was little stronger, a little less wobbly. "I'm seventeen. Please, sir, my grandpa is dying!"

There came a slight huff, and the young teen looked up to find Kaiba's head forward again, as if he were thinking. "And I trust you are both farmers?"

At that, Yuugi stilled, all thoughts flying from his head momentarily. No. They weren't farmers. Therefore they shouldn't be able to get miracles. But….but….his grandfather! He was dying! If Seto Kaiba had any amount of pity in his body, then he would help, any at all.

"No," he called bravely, finding strength where he had been lacking it before. "We're not. But he's dying and I have no other options. We _need _that miracle."

Again, Kaiba turned to look over his shoulder. This time though, Yuugi caught his cold gaze with a confident one of his own. And promptly burst into flames.

* * *

Le gasp~ Cliffhanger! Mwuhahahahaha.

There's no question for this chapter, but there will be one next time. Still feel free to leave a review though! I soak them in like a sponge and they make me so happy. .

Chapter four is already under way. However, this means little. It could still take me a long time to finish it. I really like it, and so the perfectionist in me is being super picky about how I write it. But I'll try to hurry the process along (without ruining the quality of course!).

**-Xen**


	4. Thunder and Lightning

**A/N:** Hey guys, welcome back! I really like this chapter, so I hope you like it too. As for me...well lets just say I'm not doing so great right now. I'm struggling with several different mental issues right now, the worst of which is depression. To say the least, the future of this story is hanging in the balance. There are times when I just want to delete this entire account to erase all traces of my pitiful attempts at writing. But I recently started some medication, and I'm visiting a Psychologist once a week, so hopefully I'll get better.

**Word Count: **2,371 (Sorry guys, this one is a bit short!)

* * *

Trees crawled by at a leisurely pace, the sky grey and foreboding above, wind rustling leaves all about. The steady clop of horse hooves on a dirt path was the only other sound, accompanied by the soft and steady squeak of wooden wheels.

Bakura lay atop the caravan, stretched out on his back and with hands folded behind his head. He was dozing on and off, bored with this whole trip. He and Ryou had set out early that morning, having found no more business in their most recent town but right before leaving the two Egyptians they'd met the night before had shown up, cloaked and armed with every intention to travel with the white haired teens. Bakura had curled his lip at them, but ever sweet Ryou had welcomed them along and allowed them to ride inside the caravan on their journey. With his hyper sensitive hearing, Bakura could pick up the slight sounds of their movements below. One of them, Malik, the sorcerer, was asleep and snoring slightly. The other, the younger brother, Marik, was fidgeting, obviously uncomfortable.

Sitting on top of the caravan was always Bakura's favorite place whenever they traveled. From his perch, he could see a nice distance as well as just lay back and relax. Now, though, he wrinkled his nose in disgust as a few stray raindrops landed on his face. Above, the sky was growing ever darker and quite quickly as well. The bat familiar scowled at it, before turning onto his stomach and edging his way to the front of the caravan. He leaned his head over, easily able to see Ryou sitting in the driver's seat below.

"Hey," he snapped, tempted to take a swing at that fluffy white head. "It's gonna start raining soon. Don't you need more of that captured lightning?"

The small sorcerer turned a warm brown gaze up to Bakura and smiled. "You're right! It does look like a storm is rolling in, doesn't it?" Just as he said this, a drop of rain landed on the very tip of his nose and he giggled. Bakura simply rolled his eyes.

"Anyways," Ryou continued, "we should go ahead and set everything up." With that, he steered the horses into an overhanging of trees where they would be protected from the worst of the down pour and then unharnessed them, simply leaving them tied to the side of the wooden vehicle to graze and do as they pleased.

Bakura stood, brushing off his pants, and then jumped to the ground, his wings tucked in so that they didn't catch at the air. He landed in a crouch and then straightened. "I'll get the chalk and the jars," he offered, opening the caravan and stepping inside.

A pair of lilac cat eyes glowed from within the darkness, wary and unnerving.

Bakura simply smirked. "We're not there yet, kitty," he stated. He had quickly decided he liked the name, mainly because the first time he'd used it the lion familiar had _hissed_ at him. Hissed! "I just need to grab a few things. Ryou wants to do a ritual."

Marik shifted and then peered around Bakura. His nose wrinkled in a rather cute way. "It's about to rain, though."

The bat familiar rolled his eyes and began pulling open several of the caravan's built in drawers until he found two good sized jars and a still fairly unused piece of chalk. He left without saying anything else to the Egyptian (why should he after all?) though he could feel those piercing lavender eyes on his back.

Ryou had disappeared from sight, but Bakura could easily pick up the sound of his shuffling, and followed it through the trees until he reached a nice sized clearing. By this time, the clouds above had loosened their hold and rain was falling in a thin sheet.

When he emerged from the trees, the sorcerer ran up and gratefully took the chalk from Bakura. It was a dusty white color, but he knew that it had magical properties. It became evident when Ryou began drawing a circle in thin air. It hovered only an inch from the ground, and once done with the basic outline, which was about five feet in diameter, Ryou began coating the line with various words and phrases, all in different languages and sometimes accompanied by small, detailed symbols.

Bakura stepped over Ryou's work, careful not to touch it least he smudge it or something, and went to stand in the middle of the circle as the other boy finished with the ritual writings. Each ritual demanded a different series of words, pictures and languages, sometimes even different shapes, though circles seemed to be the most common. Ryou had memorized quite a few, but there were millions out there, and the young teen had barely even tapped into that vast amount of knowledge.

Bakura impatiently pushed his soppy bangs out of his face. He wasn't soaked yet, but the rain was getting heavier with every second and he doubted it would be much longer until the real storm actually hit. Despite the downpour, the chalk seemed to take no notice, and simply hung wherever Ryou drew it.

When the white haired boy was done, he stuck what remained of the chalk into his pocket, and came to join Bakura. He seemed….odd, the bat familiar noticed. His brown eyes were stretched wide and the emotion that swam in their depths was unreadable. He was shaking lightly too, looking even paler than he normally did, rain drops running down his face and arms like water off of ice.

This was the first time Bakura had performed this particular ritual with him. It was extremely dangerous and Ryou preferred to buy captured lighting rather than risking either of their lives. However…the expression on the younger teen's face was one far from fear. In fact, Bakura thought, it might even be some kind of excitement.

Ryou turned those odd looking eyes to the bat familiar, signaling that they were starting. No matter what they were doing, Bakura's job was almost always the same, so with a slight huff he closed his crimson eyes. His task was simple; reach out mentally to Ryou and offer his strength to the weak sorcerer. It took only a second for him to expand his mind and find the conscious of the boy next to him.

However, he was not able to connect to it as easily as he usually did, and his brow furrowed as he was forced to concentrate even harder. Ryou was always so open that slipping into his mind was a piece of cake, but now he seemed withdrawn, unwilling to let Bakura in, and the bat familiar growled, shoving mentally at the other boy until he was allowed entrance. It was like falling into a pond during the winter and having all of your limbs cry out in shock at the same time. His body froze instantly and his brain scrambled to catch up because suddenly he wasn't Bakura. His eyes weren't closed. He wasn't standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

He was Ryou, staring up at the sky, delighting as each drop of cool water hit his face and shivering at the feel at it, wanting to cry out in pure glee and ecstasy when the sky ripped itself open in a flash of light, followed only milliseconds by a thundering roar. But he bit his tongue and held onto the sound, choosing to instead grab one of the jar's Bakura had brought him. Shaky arms held it up to the heavens, pale lips spouting words that were all too familiar and warm in his mouth, like drinking tequila; they burned but left him feeling good and slightly dizzy.

And then it happened.

Gracefully, and to Ryou, in slow motion, a spindly ark of lighting danced down on elegant legs, drawn to the magic the young sorcerer was emitting. It hit the jar with an odd chiming sound, and the effect traveled down Ryou's fingertips and into his heart. He threw his head back, crying out because it _hurt _but moaning, lightly, too, because he was electrified and alive and all too aware of his heart racing in fear. It was addicting. He could have sat there and simply let the feeling poison his veins, but he forced himself to move, clamping a lid on the jar. The lighting, seemingly indignant, began the usual activity of bouncing off the enchanted glass, looking for its escape back to the natural world. Ryou paid it little heed though, and simply set it at his feet, grabbing the second jar Bakura had brought him and repeating the process. Again, pain and pleasure shot through his system, faster than a bullet and oh so exhilarating.

Movement in the corner of his vision caught the boy's attention, and his head snapped to the side, glass almost falling from his fingers. But he caught himself and quickly shoved a lid on the jar and then looked up again, to the person he'd seen standing on the edge of the trees.

It was one of the Egyptians. The sorcerer. Malik wasn't it? His eyes -amaranth they were amaranth colored, Ryou decided- were alight with the dance of the storm and appeared endless. No pupil was visible and with shadows of the trees falling over his tan features, he appeared almost an embodiment of the lighting Ryou had just captured. He shivered, those almost psychic eyes diving straight into his soul and beyond; he could not look away.

Bakura wrenched away almost painfully, slicing Ryou's mind away from his like a second skin, crawling out of it feeling weak and awkward and horribly violated.

"What the fuck was that?!" where the first words out of his mouth, running his hands up and down his arms. He hadn't been cold before, but apparently Ryou had drained a shit load of strength from him because he was tired as hell.

Ryou turned from where he had been staring into the distance, doe eyes looking apologetic. "What was what?" he asked innocently, and Bakura wanted to slap the stupid look off of his face.

"You know what I'm talking about! That!" he yelled vaguely, throwing one arm out violently to indicate the ritual that had just taken place. Never before had he connected that thoroughly to Ryou before. It was like he_ was_ Ryou and Ryou was him, and that was _so_ not okay. In fact it was fucking creepy. Not to mention the sorcerer had been having some pretty weird thoughts throughout the whole thing. Had he _moaned _when the lighting hit him? And what was that weird thing with Malik there at the end? Bakura couldn't help but glance at where he…no, Ryou, had seen the Egyptian, but he was gone.

Meanwhile, the fluffy haired teen was fidgeting uncomfortably, rain pounding down on his small frame and giving him that odd look like he was glowing slightly. "Ummmm…." was the only sound that made it past his lips, and Bakura couldn't keep the ugly sneer off of his face.

"Fine, whatever, don't tell me. But don't fucking do it again, you hear me?" the bat familiar growled, and without waiting for a response, he whirled around and made his way back to the caravan. This time, he didn't bother stepping over the intricate circle Ryou had drawn, and as soon as he made contact with it, it hissed loudly and began to erase itself in a chain effect, smoking as it went, until there was no evidence of the magic that had taken place there only moments before.

Bakura trudged through the trees, water soaking through his leather shoes and squelching uncomfortably around his toes. His hair was plastered to his forehead, neck and back, and was far too heavy for his liking. All in all, he was fucking pissed and this stupid rain was doing nothing to help his mood. When he reached the caravan, he threw the door open with much more force than was necessary, and stood in the entry, dripping water on the wooden floor.

Malik was seated on the caravan's built in chest, still wet from his own escapade through the woods while he brother stood awkwardly in the middle of the space. He turned when Bakura entered, face unreadable in the dim light. A single candle was lit and sat on a shelf, throwing its flickering gleam across all of their faces.

The bat familiar had absolutely no patience and greeted them both a warning growl. When neither stranger said anything, Bakura threw his hands into the air in exasperation.

"What the fuck?" he spat, crimson eyes narrowed in anger and frustration. "I fucking live here, so don't stare at me like I'm some fucking intruder!"

"You really should learn to be nicer. And to curb your tongue," came the quiet reply from behind him, a whisper almost.

The bat familiar knew who it was almost instantly, who else could it be, but instead of responding he let out another animalistic growl. Whirling around, he shoved past Ryou without even looking at the sorcerer and headed back out into the storm.

"I'll sleep out here," he threw over his shoulder, not really caring whether they heard him or not. Truthfully, he really hated the rain. He was cold and hungry and fucking pissed, but he'd be damned if he was going to spend all night in a stuffy box with those two Egyptians. And then there was Ryou….He really didn't even want to think about it; the whole experience earlier had thoroughly creeped him out. So without another thought he unfurled his wings, crouched, jumped as high as he could, and gave one strong, solid stroke. Once atop the caravan, he resumed his earlier position and laid down on his back, closing his eyes against the onslaught of rain. The only good thing about it, he decided, was that the steady drum of it blocked out the sounds from within the wooden contraption, even to his sensitive ears.

From some yards away, two pairs of eyes -one blue and one brown- watched him carefully.

* * *

Well I don't really have a lot to say down here...though I do have a question for my readers. Answer correctly (in the reviews please) and you'll get a prize. A commission or perhaps a certain scene you want to see in the story. If you've already won though, please refrain from playing again! If you get it right, you can't win again and then you'll just give the answer away.

So here's the question; There are two characters (revealed in the very last sentence) who are following Ryou, Bakura, Marik and Malik. Tell me at least one of their names and you win! Bonus points if you can tell me both.

Ta for now.

**-Xen**


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